Everyone was up early packing their bikes and mingling in the guest room of the Hampton Inn - it was a sea of green shirts. Our meeting started a few minutes late, but no one was in a huge rush as we only had 70 miles to travel to the end of Route 66.

There are thousands of things to do in Los Angeles, and it's near impossible to figure out how to make the most of a short trip. Here are some of the best, well-rounded suggestions for anyone looking to get a 'little' off the beaten path.

If you live in the Los Angeles area or will be visiting this week, there's a big shindig in Santa Monica on Wednesday evening, September 9, 2009 to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Santa Monica Pier.